


Through The Years

by Drabbles_M1



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angie is in an MGM movie, Angst, Announcements, Babysitting, Big Brothers, Birthday, Carter siblings reunited, Chaotic Howard, Daniel is a sap and we love to see it, Elizabeth Sousa - Freeform, Endgame AU, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, Michael Sousa - Freeform, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Movie Premier, Movie Stars, Naming the Baby, Not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Compliant, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, One Shot, Peggy and Daniel have a heart to heart, Pregnancy, Reunions, Sarah Carter is just like her Mum, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, sarah carter - Freeform, singin' in the rain - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drabbles_M1/pseuds/Drabbles_M1
Summary: A series of one shots in no particular order following my completed story “The Aftermath.”
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. She Did What?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! So I know this is a lot later than I intended (work, life and the negative feelings about COVID got in the way I guess) but here is the first one shot in this series. As you can see I'm doing these in a very random order with whatever inspiration I get to write them. I've also got a list of ideas from comments on my completed story "The Aftermath". For these one shots to kind of make sense I would recommend reading that story first. I hope you enjoy these one shots!

**27th March 1960**

It had been a particularly long day in the office, and the mountains of paperwork strewn on Peggy's desk seemed to be never ending. No matter how much she ticked off her to do list, there always seemed to be more to do. The phone hadn't stopped ringing all day either, adding to her workload.

The sudden shrieking from the telephone captured Peggy's attention and with a small sigh her hand automatically reached for it, bringing it up to her ear."Agent Carter." Her British accent cut through the silence of the office.

"Hey Peg."The frown lines that had been gracing her forehead immediately softened as she heard the voice on the other end of the phone. It was her husband, Daniel Sousa. Even after being married for ten, nearly eleven years, he always managed to have such a calming effect on her.

"Hello darling." Peggy spoke tenderly, a small smile gracing her lips.After a moment, a sudden realisation hit her, and slowly but surely the frown lines appeared on her forehead once more. "Is everything alright?" She questioned; Daniel never called her at work unless it was an emergency.

Peggy heard Daniel clear his throat a little, obviously gearing himself up to tell her. "I had a phone call from the school about Sarah. She uhh...she...well..."

After a few seconds of hearing Daniel struggle to form a sentence, Peggy's impatience overtook her. "Daniel spit it out. The suspense is killing me here."

"She got suspended from school for a week."

The pen that Peggy had been holding in her other hand suddenly clattered on the wooden desk and her eyes widened upon hearing Daniel's response. "She did what?! What ever for?"

"She punched a boy in her class during lunch."

"Brilliant." Peggy's sarcasm was evident in her tone, hailing a deep sigh before she looked up at the clock on the wall in front of her. It was 2:45 and Peggy had a meeting scheduled at 3 o'clock, but by the way this conversation was going, the meeting would have to be postponed until a later date. Plus, her two younger children, Michael and Elizabeth were due out of school at 3:15pm, so she would have to go pick them up instead of Daniel today, which would come as a lovely surprise to her two younger children who were now aged eight and six.

"Sarah's waiting to be picked up so I'm going to go down and get her. Is there any chance you could-"

"Don't worry darling, I will pick Michael and Elizabeth up from school. I've got a couple of loose ends to tie up here and then I will go collect them. I'll come straight home once I've got them."

"Thanks Peg, I love you. Have I ever told you that lately?"

"You tell me that every day, Daniel. I love you too."

"See you soon."

After saying her goodbyes she placed the phone back down on the receiver, a little heavier than she had initially intended. She slumped back into her seat and covered her face with her hands in exasperation. What on earth had caused Sarah to act out like this? She was sure about to find out soon enough when she got home. Once composed, Peggy raised her head a little and locked her eyes onto a small framed photograph of Steve Rogers, Sarah's father. It was a picture of him before the serum, back in the days when he had first joined the army; she had kept that photograph for many years and had it on her desk, knowing that he was watching over her.

Peggy reached out a manicured hand and took the photo, brushing her thumb over it softly. "Oh Steve, what has our daughter been up to now, hey?"

* * *

As Peggy approached the front door to their family home, her youngest children bounced around impatiently waiting. Peggy fished out her set of keys from her handbag, and the unmistakable sounds of her eldest daughter and husband's raised voices filled her senses. Creaking open the newly unlocked front door, Michael and Elizabeth hurtled into the front room. After ushering both children upstairs to their bedrooms to avoid overhearing the argument, Peggy marched through to the kitchen to find out exactly what had been going on.

"You are fourteen years old Sarah! What kind of example are you setting for your little brother and sister by using violence?"

"You're not even listening to me! Joseph said-" Sarah tried to explain herself further, but Daniel cut her off before she had the chance.

"I don't care what that boy said Sarah! You do not turn to violence to solve things! Your mother and I raised you better than that!" Daniel retorted, clearly frustrated at Sarah's actions.

"I'm fed up of being told what to do! You're not even my real Dad!"

A loud gasp left Peggy's lips as she listened to those words. "Sarah! How can you say something like that?!" Peggy's voice bellowed through the kitchen and startled her daughter, who turned around abruptly. The three of them stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds, Sarah's emotions finally getting the better of her as her crystal blue eyes blurred over with tears.

"Nobody understands. You never listen to me." A tearful Sarah muttered as she rushed passed Peggy in the doorway, running off to her room. A loud slam could be heard seconds later causing both Daniel and Peggy to shudder at the force of the slam.

Peggy's attention immediately turned to Daniel, who was also standing there with tears in his eyes. He adored Sarah as if she was his own and had been a very loving father figure in her life since she was about six months old. He was only looking out for Sarah, and her words had clearly hurt him. Dropping her handbag to the floor, Peggy took a tentative step towards her husband. "Daniel..." Her fingers found his and intertwined them together, squeezing his hand gently. "Darling are you okay?" She questioned tenderly, trying to get him to look at her.

Daniel finally locked eyes with his wife and nodded. "I'm fine I just...that hurt to hear her say those words. I know I will never be Steve, but it still hurts...you know?"

"Oh darling." Peggy's free hand came to rest on his cheek, stroking it softly. "Sarah was just angry. She's a teenager and she's hormonal. She didn't mean that. She'll realise just how horrible that was to say that to you and apologise. Now, what happened that caused her to lash out?"

"She was saying something about a boy teasing her. I never got the full story... I should have let her explain herself." Daniel sighed heavily, feeling a little guilty about jumping down Sarah's throat like that. He was only being a protective father after all. 

"Don't worry darling, like I said Sarah will realise that you were only looking out for her and apologise." Peggy spoke tenderly, her voice soothing and calming him down.

After listening to his wife's comforting words, Daniel snaked an arm around Peggy's lower back and pulled her close, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"That's what I'm here for." The hand that had been stroking Daniel's cheek moved round to the back of his head, absentmindedly twirling her fingers in his hair. "And likewise, you always know what to say to me to make me feel better. We make a pretty good team I'd say." Daniel chuckled lightly in agreement hearing his wife's words.

"Yeah, we do Peg. We definitely do."

* * *

A knock at the door startled Sarah awake from a light sleep. She snapped opened her eyes and lifted her head off of her pillow. It had been a couple of hours since the argument with Daniel and after calming herself down she had nodded off to sleep on her bed. Sitting up and rubbing her at her eyes Sarah spoke quietly."Yeah?"

The door creaked open and stood in the doorway was Daniel. "Can I come in?" He asked, unsure if Sarah was in a calmer mood than she was earlier.

After noticing Sarah nod her head Daniel limped into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Although Howard Stark had successfully built Daniel a new prosthetic leg and he no longer needed to use a crutch, he still struggled to be on his feet for long periods of time. Getting himself comfortable, he craned his head round to look at Sarah who was absentmindedly pulling at a thread on her bed.

As Daniel opened his mouth to say something, he was surprised that Sarah beat him to it. "I'm sorry, about what I said to you." Sarah muttered quietly as she finally looked up and locked eyes with Daniel's. "That wasn't fair of me to say that you weren't my real Dad, when you've been the only father I've ever known. I'm really sorry."

Daniel let out a little sigh as he reached his hand over to place it on top of Sarah's own. "Sweetheart, I know you never meant those things. It still hurt to hear them though, so thank you for apologising." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before continuing. "I just needed you to know that even though you understand to a certain extent what your mother and I do for a living, violence will not help solve your problems. They only get you into trouble."

"I know. I just got so mad and saw red. I'm sorry." Sarah replied, her bright blue eyes filling with tears as she remembered what the boy in her class had said to her. She swallowed a lump in her throat that was beginning to form before finally explaining to Daniel what had happened at school to cause her to lash out. Joseph, the boy in question, had been bullying Sarah for quite some time now, teasing her about how Sarah's father wasn't around, and that her real Dad would never want such a horrible daughter like her. Kids could be so cruel. 

After telling her side of the story, Sarah had dissolved into a mess of tears, Daniel scooting over and enveloping her into his arms in a big bear hug. As the tears subsided, Sarah pulled back and looked up at Daniel, before rubbing at her tear stained face. "I promise I won't lash out like that again. I'm sorry Dad."

"It's okay. Your Mom and I will have a word with the school. You will still have to see through your weeks suspension though." Daniel explained and watched as his daughter nodded her head a little, disappointed in herself for ruining her great track record. She was a straight A student after all. "Don't worry squirt. We'll fix it."

Before anymore could be said, Peggy suddenly emerged in the doorway of Sarah's bedroom, admiring the scene before her. "Well, this certainly looks cosy. Mind if I join in?" Upon hearing her mother's voice, Sarah untangled herself from her Dad's embrace and stood up from the bed slowly. Marching across the room she opened her arms and Peggy enveloped her daughter in a hug, stroking her long blonde locks through her fingertips.

"I'm so sorry Mum. Dad and I have talked about what happened and I promise that this will never happen again. I let this stupid boy bully and boss me around, and I let his words get the better of me. I'm sorry."

After breaking the hug, Peggy looked into her daughters eyes and smiled a little. "You're a Carter, we're made of strong stuff. Just answer me one thing." Sarah quirked her eyebrow up slightly, wondering what her mother was about to ask her.

"Did you break his nose?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you have any other one shots ideas you would like to see please feel free to comment some! I've got a list ready to go! Also...I feel like secretly deep down Peggy would be proud of Sarah for sticking up for herself like that. Anyway, thanks again for reading and see you next time! M x


	2. The Rabbit Died

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fluffy pregnancy one shot because it's all I have wanted to write the past few days. I think we could all use a bit of fluff right now! Plus I've also been rewatching Agent Carter and Agents of SHIELD and I love this ship even more. I should have also said, my story 'The Aftermath' and these one shots are not compliant with Agents of SHIELD and End Game (obvs :P)

**11th February 1951**

_"Congratulations Mrs. Sousa, you're having a baby."_

That same sentence kept swirling around in Peggy's mind as she drove the short distance home from the Doctors office. A baby. An actual small human the size of a kidney bean was growing inside of her and would be making its appearance later on in the year. Peggy would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't feeling a little nervous alongside her excitement that was bubbling up inside. She should have known she was pregnant really, considering her symptoms were the exact same as when she was pregnant with Sarah.

The fact that Peggy had already gone through this experience with Sarah once before filled her with a sense of hope. And this time, Peggy didn't have to do it alone. She had Daniel by her side, and she was confident that everything would go smoothly.

_Daniel. Sweet, wonderful and perfect Daniel._

Peggy could only imagine what his reaction would be to the news. Their very own baby, oh how loved it would be. Peggy of course had thought about their future and expanding their family, but with the new agency S.H.I.E.L.D keeping her busy, the couple had never had time to discuss when they wanted to have more children. Of course, Daniel loved Sarah with every fibre of his being and treated her like she was his own, but the feeling of knowing that they had created this little life together would warrant a spectacular reaction from him. Through the years of knowing Daniel Sousa, there was no denying that he was a natural when it came to kids, having watched him interact with his nieces and nephews and also how quickly he had gained her daughter Sarah's trust. Peggy couldn't wait to tell him the news. She would wait until morning though, an extra birthday present for him that would surely bring an enormous smile to his handsome face.

As Peggy neared her destination, the view of their family home came into sight. Parked outside on the drive was Daniel's car, signalling to the fact that he was home after picking Sarah up from being with the Jarvis'. Now that Sarah was five years old, later on in the year she would be starting school, and although Peggy knew that Sarah would absolutely thrive being in education, the thought of her little girl going to school on her own scared her. There was no doubt in her mind that Sarah could stick up for herself and confidently work her way through life, but she would always be her little girl and nothing would ever change that.

After parking the car up behind Daniel's on the drive, Peggy sat there for a few moments before exiting the car. On the front door step, Peggy's ears were instantly captured with the sounds of laughter, coming from both her husband and daughter. As soon as she came through the front door, Sarah gasped loudly and came bounding through to the entrance hall. "Mummy! You're home!"

As she shut the door, Peggy instantly knelt down to the ground, depositing her handbag by her side and opening her arms to embrace her daughter. "Hello my little love. Did you have a good day with Uncle Edwin and Auntie Ana?" She asked softly as she pulled back to look her little girl in the eye.

"Aha!" Sarah nodded enthusiastically. "I helped Auntie Ana bake some cookies. I took some home so you and Pai can have some too!" The little girl had recently started calling Daniel Pai, which was Portuguese for Dad. It was important to Daniel that his Portuguese heritage be carried on, and Sarah was more than happy to learn. 

"Well I will certainly have to try one after dinner this evening. I'm glad you had a great day my darling." As Peggy stood up with Sarah in her arms, Daniel came into view and quite honestly, Peggy's stomach fluttered. He had that goofy grin on his face that just made her melt. Even after all this time, he still made her feel like a teenager with a crush.

"Hey Peg." He approached her and leaned forward, kissing her cheek gently.

"Hello darling."

"How did your meeting go at work today?" Daniel asked, nearly catching her out.

"Oh...yes. The meeting..." Peggy flustered a little before continuing on. "It was fine. Nothing special. Just listening to Howard babble on as usual." The meeting she was on about was actually her Doctor's appointment. She didn't want Daniel worrying unnecessarily about her being unwell so told a tiny white lie to cover up where she actually was.

Before Daniel said anything in response to that, Sarah held her arms out him and happily accepted Sarah into his arms. It was in that moment, seeing her husband and daughter sharing a tender moment together that Peggy realised; she really was a very lucky woman.

* * *

**12th February 1951**

As the morning sun shone through the crack in the bedroom curtains, Daniel stirred from his deep slumber. After a quick stretch to awaken his muscles, he rolled over and neatly tucked his arm around Peggy's torso, pulling her close. This motion was met with a sleepy groan from his wife. "Mmm good morning..." Peggy swiftly turned in his embrace and awarded her husband with a sweet kiss to his lips. "Happy birthday, darling." She muttered softly as she opened her eyes.

"Thanks Peg." Upon hearing him speak, Peggy decided in that moment that now was the right time to tell him her news. Biting her bottom lip between her teeth gently, Daniel furrowed his brow a little in response. "What's wrong?"

"I've got something for you." Peggy wriggled free from Daniels arms and expertly rolled out of bed, leaning down and reaching into her bedside table. After scrambling around in search for the desired item, her hand finally retrieved what she was looking for. Meanwhile a rather confused Daniel sat up in bed, resting back on the headboard so he could keep his balance a bit better due to his leg. Watching her curiously, his eyes followed her figure as she got up and opened the curtains, releasing the natural sunlight into the bedroom.

"A birthday present already? You spoil me."

"Close your eyes. And hold out your hands." Peggy spoke quietly, still facing away from him, not wanting him to see what she was holding.

As soon as the words left her lips, Daniel smirked, chuckling slightly. "It's rather early for that type of thing, isn't it?"

"Hush now, you dirty man. Nothing like that. Now close your eyes."

Hesitantly, Daniel did as he was told, closing his eyes and holding his hands out to her. Once Peggy was confident that he wasn't peaking, she turned around and climbed back into the bed, depositing the small stuffed rabbit into Daniel's hands. After her Doctors appointment, Peggy had made a quick pit stop to a small toy shop en route back to their house. Feeling the item in his hands, Daniel's eyes snapped open, taking in the sight of the small white rabbit. "W...what is this?" He asked, once again furrowing his brow, causing frown lines to appear on his forehead.

"The rabbit died." Peggy stated simply, waiting for the penny to drop.

"The rabbit..." Daniel muttered quietly before stopping. It had finally clicked and Peggy watched as Daniel lifted his head to look at her, with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open a little in shock. After a moment or two of no one saying anything, the only thing that Daniel could muster up was, "Really?"

Peggy nodded her head before uttering the words Daniel had longed to hear from her. "Yes. We are having a baby, my darling."

Glancing down at the stuffed rabbit in his hands, his eyes started clouding with tears. "Wow..." he breathed out as a few tear droplets trickled down his cheeks. Daniel lifted his head slowly, a wide smile appearing on his face as the news began to sink in. "A baby..."

Peggy reached her hand up to cup his lightly stubbled cheek, swiping away the tears on his face. "Yes Daniel, a baby. Our baby."

Daniel placed a hand over hers, craning his head down to place a kiss to her palm. "Oh Peg. You have no idea how happy I am right now." Daniel then moved his free hand and placed it gently onto her now flat stomach. For a moment, Daniel pictured Peggy, imagining what she would look like with a bump. Suddenly, Daniel leant forward and wrapped his arms around his wife, embracing her in a big bear hug. Peggy melted into his arms and marvelled in the happiness she was feeling.

Pulling back from the hug, Daniel pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Just as things were starting to heat up, a sudden knock at the door pulled the couple from their tender moment, heads snapping to the side watching the door.

"Mummy? Pai?" Sarah's innocent little voice could be heard on the other side of the door. "Can I come in please?" _How did I get so lucky to have such a polite young child?_ Peggy thought to herself before calling for her daughter to come in. Upon hearing this, Sarah opened the bedroom door and came bounding over to the bed. She scrambled up using the covers and jumped up and down excitedly. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks squirt." Daniel's face lit up as he watched Sarah bounce around before she leapt at him, Daniel catching her in his arms with an almighty 'oomph'. "You certainly seem excited. Have you and Mum got something fun planned for today?"

"Aha! You're gonna love it! We have lots planned for your birthday! Haven't we Mummy?" Sarah looked over to Peggy, who had a massive grin on her face.

"Oh?" Daniel raised an eyebrow and chuckled a little. "Care to enlighten me?"

Sarah gasped a little, turning in Daniel's arms to face him. "No! That'll spoil the surprise!" Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and pouted her bottom lip a little. This action caused both Peggy and Daniel to laugh. After a moment, Sarah wriggled out of her Dad's embrace and stood up on the bed holding out her hand. "Come on Mummy, let's go make some breakfast for Pai!"

Peggy took her daughters small hand, helping her off the bed and following her out of the room. She quickly glanced back at Daniel, smirking slightly. "Don't you move, this is your special day. Just relax."

"That's rich coming from Peggy Carter herself." Daniel replied, gaining a snort and a laugh from his wife.

"Enough of the cheek."

As his favourite girls left the bedroom, Daniel sat back into the soft pillows, taking the small stuffed rabbit into his hands once more, letting the news of their baby settle in. He couldn't wait to welcome their baby into the world. He also couldn't wait for them to tell Sarah the news. Daniel was certain that she was going to be the best big sister, considering she had asked Peggy and Daniel more than once when she was going to be getting a sibling. Pushing these thoughts from his mind, he closed his eyes and sighed happily, wondering what the day would bring.

Well this certainly was going to be a birthday to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a little research on how pregnancy tests were carried out. The "Rabbit Test" was where they would test a woman's urine for a positive result, and this is where the phrase "The rabbit died" came from. Boring I know, but I like to try and be as accurate as I can when it comes to writing. Anyways, thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Until then, stay safe and be kind to one another. M x


	3. What's In It For Us?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one shot idea was a requested one, with Sarah spending the day with either the Jarvis' or Howard. I've decided to twist the request slightly to try and make it humorous (well I tried anyway :P) but I've also decided to include Peggy and Daniel's other children, Michael and Elizabeth. In my head (which is clouded with Marvel right now :P) Peggy and Daniel went on to have two more kids, one boy and one girl, like I mentioned in my first one shot in this series. I hope you enjoy this one, I honestly think Howard would be a chaotic mess when looking after the kids but deep down would mean well. I hope you enjoy!

** 30th November 1955 **

"Howard Stark." The familiar voice boomed down the other end of the phone, almost as if he had been hard at work and had been interrupted. _What a charming way to greet an old friend on the phone._

"Well hello to you too Howard." Peggy's sarcastic tone of voice could be heard and Howard cleared his throat a little awkwardly. He hadn't expected it to be Peggy on the other end of the phone. "Who's rattled your cage?"

"Oh. Hey Peg." A rustling could be heard on the end of the phone as Howard removed his experiment goggles. "Sorry about that. I was just in the middle of something when you called and I-"

"Another one of your famous experiments?" Peggy questioned, quirking her eyebrow up, waiting to hear what he had to say for himself.

"Err...yeah I suppose you could say that. What's up?" He asked curiously, knowing that Peggy certainly wasn't calling for a general chit chat; it would be something important.

"Yes well, I'm afraid I have a rather large favour to ask you Howard." Peggy started, twirling the phone cable around her index finger.

"What is it? Is there a problem at S.H.I.E.L.D?" He queried, rubbing his hand at the back of his neck, nervously waiting for Peggy to tell him what was wrong.

"No, everything at the base is fine. There's been a bit of an emergency that I have to attend to, and with Daniel out of town at the moment I'm afraid I'm short on someone to look after the kids..."

"Nah-ah." Howard cut her off before she could even finish her sentence. "You can't seriously be asking me to look after your kids? What about your cute actress friend from the diner who starred in one of my new films?"

"Her name is Angie, Howard, do keep up. And she is currently starring in a musical in New York. As much as I'd like to I can't magic her here out of thin air." Peggy rolled her eyes listening to her dear friend flapping at the thought of babysitting her children for a few hours.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis?" Howard spoke exasperatedly, clearly running out of options now.

"They are on vacation for a few days, remember? This is the one and only chance they can get away for a few days." Poor things. Edwin and Ana hardly ever spent anytime together that wasn't in the Stark's residence running errands for him, so when the time arrived that they could take a vacation, they looked forward to it immensely. "Listen Howard, I realise that the timing of this is really bad, but I'm afraid I have run out of options here."

"I really don't think that's a smart idea, Peg. What do you do with kids?" Howard asked, genuinely terrified at the thought. I mean, he loved Peggy's children, but he much preferred to see them whilst their parents were in his company too.

"Oh Howard, really?" Peggy tutted a little hearing how ridiculous he was being. "Sarah is nine years old and they all have their own toys that I will bring over. That will keep them occupied. And I'll have you know my children are very well behaved, they're not some wild animals."

"I never said they were wild Peg, it's just...you know I'm not that great with kids." Peggy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever heard Howard so vulnerable. He had certainly face much more terrifying situations than this.

"Please Howard. I wouldn't ask unless I was absolutely desperate." Howard noted the wobble in Peggy's voice. _How hard could it be?_

After thinking for a moment, he finally let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Alright fine. I'll see you soon. But you owe me one Peg."

"Oh stop. It's not like I'm abandoning them and running away. It will only take a few hours. What could possibly go wrong?"

_Famous last words._

* * *

"Now my little loves, please behave for Uncle Howard. I promise I'll be back in a few hours." Peggy said goodbye to her three children, kissing them tenderly on their cheeks and enveloping them in a big hug before leaving them in Howard's company.

After watching Peggy leave in her car from the window in Howard's lounge, he turned to face the children, feeling a little bit awkward. Now Howard had faced many challenges, but he was definitely out of his comfort zone with this one. "Well kids. What shall we do? You hungry? I can whip up something quick in the kitchen." He suggested, watching as two year old Elizabeth toddled over to him, tugging gently on his trouser leg.

"I'd like to see your lab Uncle Howard. Can we see it, please?" Sarah suddenly asked, catching him a little off guard.

_Uh oh._

"Yeah! That would be so cool! Can we Uncle Howard? Can we?!" Michael practically begged as he hopped off of the window ledge where he had been sitting to watch his mother drive off.

"Sorry kids, I don't think your Mom would thank me if I brought you in there." He knelt down, picking Elizabeth up into his arms. "Don't want you blowing anything up." He muttered quietly, thinking none of the kids would take him seriously, but this comment pulled a gasp from nine year old Sarah and four year old Michael.

"You get to blow stuff up?!" Michael asked excitedly, bouncing up and down a little. "I wanna try that!"

"Yeah!" Elizabeth chimed in, clapping her hands together excitedly in her Uncle's arms. Little Elizabeth, (or Beth as she was called by her brother and sister) surprisingly was the shyest out of the Sousa clan, but found herself coming out of her shell a lot more as she got older.

"What?! N...no! No I don't blow stuff up! I mean...sometimes I do...but _we_ will not be blowing stuff up today." He internally chastised himself. _What a stupid thing to say in front of the children. Well done Howard._

A sudden thought popped into Sarah's head as she quickly peered out of the lounge and down the hallway. She seemed to remember roughly where the door leading to the basement was. "Okay then Uncle Howard..." A quick mischievous glance back to her little brother and her plan was hatched. "Come on Michael...tag you're it!" Sarah tapped her brother gently on the shoulder, before running down the hallway. The children giggled as they raced towards the end of the narrow hallway, Howard chasing after them with Elizabeth in his arms.

"Kids come back here!"

* * *

Well the visit to the lab hadn't been disastrous. Nobody blew anything up, and apart from a near mishap of Michael nearly turning himself bright green, nobody got hurt. Howard knew that if anything happened to the kids then he would be dead meat. The kids meant everything to Peggy and Daniel, and he wouldn't ever dream of putting them in danger.

After a very quick tour of his lab, Howard now had the very difficult task of trying to get the kids to leave and head back upstairs before their mother got back.

"Come on kids, I think we've seen enough here. I've already been kind enough to let you see the lab in the first place. If your mother finds out that I even let you in here, she's gonna kill me." With Elizabeth still safely snuggled up in his arms, he turned slightly facing the doorway, ushering the kids out. Sarah thought for a moment, a wicked smile appearing on her face.

"If we keep this a secret from Mum, what's in it for us?" Sarah folded her arms in front of her and raised her eyebrow a little. In that exact moment, Howard's heart melted a little at the sight of his nine year old niece.

"You are just like your mother Sarah."

"Is that a bad thing Uncle Howard?" Sarah asked, grinning cheekily before she strode over and took her little brother's hand before leading him up the stairs. "Come on Michael, let's go play with our toys."

"Not at all little one, not at all." Howard chuckled slightly as he watched the nine year old. When did she get so grown up? She really was a mini Peggy in ever single way.

* * *

"I'm back!" Peggy announced as she crossed the threshold of Howard's house. There wasn't a sound to be heard; how strange. "Howard? Kids?" Peggy called in different directions, trying to tease a response from someone. All of a sudden she heard the loud sound of footsteps hurtling down the hallway in her direction.

"Mummy! Mummy! You're back!" Michael and Sarah charged towards her and practically leapt into Peggy's arms. Picking them both up, she chuckled and hugged them tightly.

"What a wonderful welcome back...did you have fun with Uncle Howard?" Peggy asked as she pressed kisses into her children's hair.

"We certainly did." Howard's voice caught Peggy's attention and she looked over to see him with a very tired looking Elizabeth in his arms.

Not taking her eyes off of her friend, Peggy deposited the children safely onto the ground before standing up fully. "Well I do hope they behaved themselves and weren't running you ragged." As those words left Peggy's lips, Sarah peered up at her Uncle Howard, who gave her a quick wink, solidifying their promise to each other.

"They were great Peg. We had a lot of fun." Howard craned his head down to peer at the sleepy toddler in his arms. "Although I think we need to watch this one. She's certainly coming out of her shell a lot more now. I think she's gonna be the trouble maker." Howard joked and Beth sleepily snuggled her face into the crook of his neck.

Watching Howard with little Beth caused her heart to melt a little. Of course he loved all three of Peggy's children, but there seemed to be a very special bond there with Elizabeth. "Well, at least I know who to call if I run out of options for babysitters again." Peggy's lip quirked up in a grin, knowing full well that deep down Howard would enjoy spending time with them.

_Maybe babysitting the Carter-Sousa children wasn't such a scary thing after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this one and the ideas and dialogue seemed to just flow really easily (I love it when that happens). I absolutely love the banter between Peggy and Howard and can only imagine that Sarah would have inherited her mother's sass and wit. Poor Howard.
> 
> Any suggestions for one shots then please let me know!
> 
> Until next time, M x


	4. What Was He Like?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After re-watching some of the episodes in Season 2 of Agent Carter, I really had the urge to write about Peggy's brother Michael and how much she misses him. I also thought it would be nice to write about Peggy opening up to Daniel properly about her brother and also her ex-fiance Fred.
> 
> Enjoy!

**16th June 1950**

The sun was setting after another action packed day in Los Angeles, and Peggy Carter found herself standing on the porch facing out to their back yard. The orange and red colours in the sky looked magnificent and Peggy found herself lost for words with how beautiful the sunset looked.

_'Three weeks'._ Peggy thought to herself. Three weeks to go until her wedding day. Three weeks until she became Peggy Sousa.

Unbeknownst to Peggy, whilst she was deep in thought, Daniel had been stood at the back door watching her quietly. After a moment, he crutched his way over to her, slipping an arm around her from behind protectively. "Mmm...hello darling." Peggy spoke softly, turning her head to look at him. The hues of red and orange in the sky illuminated his face a little, and the mere sight of him made Peggy swoon. How did she get so lucky?

"You okay Peg?" Daniel asked before pressing a feather soft kiss to her cheek.

After a moment of silence, Peggy finally replied. "I was just thinking."

"That's dangerous." Daniel teased playfully, gaining a scoff from his soon-to-be wife.

"Oi." Peggy retorted, gently jabbing her elbow to his stomach, gaining an overly dramatic 'oomph' from Daniel.

"Hey, I'm kidding. But seriously, are you okay?"

Listening to his question, Peggy expertly turned around in his arms and loosely draped her arms around his neck, tilting her left hand up to admire her engagement ring. Daniel, quickly realising what she was looking at, broke out into one of his signature smiles, still not quite believing that in a few weeks he would be marrying Peggy Carter.

"I was just thinking about a lot of things. The fact that in three weeks time we are going to be married." Listening to her affectionate words, Daniel leant forward and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "I've also been thinking about my brother an awful lot. Thinking about how he would have loved you and how he would have teased me endlessly about how completely and utterly in love I am with you, Daniel." There was a slight wobble in her voice and Daniel noted that even though darkness was beginning to take over the night sky, he could see that her eyes were glazing over with tears.

"What was he like?" Daniel queried cautiously, rubbing soothing circles into her back.

"Oh Daniel, he was wonderful." Taking a shaky breath, Peggy carried on. "He was kind, caring and he always looked out for me. If not for him, I fear I wouldn't be where I am now."

"What do you mean?" He questioned, quirking up an eyebrow.

Peggy took a deep breath and swallowed the small lump in her throat before telling Daniel her story. "When I got engaged to Fred, I was working in Bletchley Park as a codebreaker. I enjoyed my job, but I thought that getting married and being a housewife was the life that I wanted. However, deep down what I craved for was adventure, and Michael knew that. He had recommended me to the Special Operations Executive which was founded by Winston Churchill himself. They wanted me to join as a Field Agent because women would successfully go by unnoticed. I of course said I would think about it, but after discussing it with Fred I turned it down." Peggy paused for a moment, remembering back to the argument she had had with Michael at her engagement party. "I found out at my engagement party that it was Michael who had recommended me to the S.O.E and he was not pleased that I had turned it down." Once again a lump in her throat formed and Peggy had to compose herself before she carried on. "After that he left to go back out to fight in the War. Not long after we got the news that he had died in action. The day I found out it felt like someone had ripped my heart out." By this point, a few stray tears were making their way down her cheeks and Daniel felt his heart ache for the hurt she was feeling even after all this time. "I called the engagement off. I packed up my things and left to join the S.O.E and do the work my brother knew I was born to do. I've never forgiven myself for how we left things before he died..."

"Oh Peg, I had no idea." Daniel lifted his hand and gently cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb to sweep away the stray tears that had trekked down her face.

"I know I only briefly spoke about my brother and Fred, but I so terribly wish you and Michael could have gotten to meet." Peggy craned her head to press a kiss into his palm. "You know...you still have time to make a run for it if my emotional baggage is too much..." Peggy joked a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not a chance. I'm in this with you until the end Peggy." Peggy smiled through her tears hearing his promise to her. "So...this Fred guy, what was he like?" Daniel asked with a slight hint of humour to his voice.

"At the time, I thought Fred Wells was the best thing to ever happen to me. I was so brainwashed into thinking that getting married to him was the right thing to do, but after Michael died I realised that Fred was nothing but an arrogant plonker." As soon as those words left her lips, Daniel snorted a little.

"I'm glad you listened to your gut instinct. Otherwise you wouldn't be here with me now, making me the happiest man ever." Daniel closed the gap between them until their noses brushed together, hovering there for a moment.

"Sap." Peggy whispered before pressing her lips to his.

Breaking apart from the kiss, the couple stared into each other's eyes before Daniel spoke once again. "Come on, it's getting dark. Let's go inside. I'll make us some tea."

"I knew I was marrying you for a reason." Peggy teased, pecking Daniel's lips once more before they retreated inside their home.

Despite her past, Peggy realised that everything happened for a reason, and agreeing to marry Daniel was the best decision she had ever made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love these two. Ugh. Sooooooooo many feels.
> 
> Until next time, M x


	5. Penny For Your Thoughts Little Piglet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...it still reaaaaaaally bugs me that we never got a season 3. There was so much potential and so many unanswered questions, but alas, I think that ship has well and truly sailed. The fact they even touched on Peggy's past and brought in Michael Carter solidifies that he was still very much alive. So I've taken matters into my own hands to cure the missing void and to follow on from my last one shot where Peggy expressed how much she missed her brother.   
> Obviously as my story and these one shots didn't really follow any storyline from 'Agent Carter' I kind of just did my own thing from what I've taken from the information available.   
> Enjoy!

** 21st July 1950 **

The day had started off somewhat normal, mountains of paperwork, tying up loose ends on cases and trying to track down another sighting of HYDRA. However, things suddenly took a very dramatic turn. For weeks now the team had been following one unsuccessful lead after another, but finally they had a stroke of luck. The team had received another piece of intel and had expertly managed to capture a HYDRA agent and bring him in for questioning. During the interrogation some rather shocking news was uncovered, sending Daniel into a bit of a frenzy, unsure of what to do next. Daniel now found himself in his office, pacing, well, crutching back and forth, trying to plot his next move.

Inside the office with him was Agent Fisher, who had been there with him when the suspect had revealed his identity.

"How is this even possible?" Daniel exclaimed, the information clouding his brain, making him struggle to think properly. "Agent Carter told me he died in action ten years ago...it can't possibly be him...can it?" Daniel queried, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Stranger things have happened Chief." Agent Fisher stated simply, reminding Daniel of a rather unusual case they tackled a few months ago, to which he internally shuddered at the memory. "The suspect said he was taken hostage by HYDRA during the war and they had to cover up his death." Fisher explained as he went through the paperwork they had been collecting on the case. "He keeps asking for Agent Carter but we need to establish if it really is him or not."

"You're right. She shouldn't know about this just yet." As those words left his lips, the door to his office suddenly swung open, revealing a slightly disheveled looking Peggy. Daniel pivoted round and seeing her standing there made his palms and neck start to clam up with sweat. Peggy wasn't due back from her own mission for another hour or so. "Y...you're back?"

Peggy marched forward, smoothing down her hair to make herself more presentable. "We got the case closed quicker than we thought." Noticing Daniel's wide eyes and vacant expression, her brows furrowed together slightly. "Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." She took a few tentative steps forward and Agent Fisher swiftly left the room, closing the door behind him, figuring that this conversation was only meant for the two of them.

As Daniel tried ever so hard to formulate a response, Peggy placed her hands on her hips impatiently. "I just..."

"What is it?" Peggy cut in, clearly seeing that Daniel was trying to hide something from her.

"N...nothing."

"Oh honestly Daniel, you're a terrible liar." As she approached him slowly, her gaze lowered to his wooden desk, taking in the sights of the paperwork. "Is this from the most recent case?" She queried, scooping the stack of files into her arms, flipping open the first page and scanning to see the latest development.

"Peg I really don't think that's a good idea."

_Too late._

Her eyes were instantly fixated on the name scribbled on the top corner of the page.

_**Michael Carter.** _

The sight of his name made Peggy's stomach begin to churn.

How was this possible? Surely it couldn't be her Michael?

Glancing up from the paperwork she noted the frightened look on her husband's face, clearly worried about her reaction to this revelation. This look solidified her thoughts, and soon enough, Peggy found herself running out of the office, Daniel crutching behind her furiously to try and catch up with her. Upon reaching the door to the interrogation room, Peggy thrust it open and darted inside.

A loud gasp left her lips, eyes widening as she took in the image of the man sitting at the interview desk. Face gaunt and deathly pale, terribly skinny, but those piercing eyes would set him apart from anyone. The files she had been holding had long slipped from her grasp in shock, spilling everywhere. "M...Michael?" Peggy stuttered, her brown orbs clouding over with tears.

Michael glanced up at his little sister, seeing her now as a woman, and not the nineteen year old girl he left to go to war all those years ago. "Hello Peggy."

* * *

Being reunited with her big brother was something Peggy thought would never happen, certainly in this lifetime anyway. Once over the initial shock, after much persuasion, Daniel left Peggy alone with Michael to question him; if anyone was going to entice him to talk and give them the answers they needed, it would be Peggy.

The sound of Peggy scraping the chair on the hard ground echoed in the small room. Depositing herself on the wooden seat opposite, for the first time Peggy got a proper look at the man claiming to be her older brother. She noted in his face just how tired and unwell he looked. "You look terrible."

"Charming." Michael rolled his eyes a little before carrying on. "And here I was about to compliment you on how well you look. You suit your hair like that. You look so much like Mum."

"Wanker..." Peggy muttered quietly, chuckling a little at his statement. Michael knew how much that comment would get on her nerves, considering when they were growing up, Peggy and her Mother never really saw eye to eye. The laugh that spilled from her lips soon dissolved into a small sigh, remembering that there was a task at hand. "How is this possible Michael? _You died_. How can I trust it's really you?"

Michael studied his baby sister's face for a moment, thinking about what he could say to convince her that it really was him, alive and in the flesh. "When we were in secondary school, I had to bail you out for stealing a bottle of liquor from your teachers house because your so called friends ran away and left you..."

"I could have quite easily bailed myself out of that situation, thank you very much..." Peggy countered, quirking up her left eyebrow in response.

"Or how my nickname for you when we were younger was little Piglet. Because no matter how much you tried to deny it, you were absolutely enthralled by Winnie the Pooh and his friends when it was first published." Michael scanned her features and noticed her breath hitch a little, followed by her eyes once again filling with tears. He carried on, naming more and more things no one else could have possibly known about her.

It was like someone had flicked a switch, finding herself suddenly leaping from her chair to untie his restraints. Once freed, she pulled him into a desperate embrace. The flood gates opened and Peggy didn't hold back, crying into him as Michael wrapped his arms around her. "Oh Michael, what have they done to you?" She cried, clinging to him, afraid to let go. "I've missed you so much."

"And I you Peggy..." Michael cooed as he reassuringly stroked his hand though her hair, telling her that he was alright, and that he wasn't going anywhere.

Pulling back from their embrace, Peggy wiped furiously at her eyes before returning to her seat. Composing herself, she took a deep breath before continuing. "We've been following leads for weeks but nothing ever came about..." She spoke with a shaky breath, reaching her left hand out to him, which he took almost instantly.

"I had been captured by HYDRA and been under their control for so long, but a few weeks ago I started to remember about my old life. The first thing I remembered was you." Michael explained and carried on telling his story. HYDRA had covered up his death and held him hostage, experimenting on him and erasing his memories. "So you see, when all of these memories suddenly started flooding back, I just knew I had to find you and get away from them. I started leaving clues in hope that your team would find me. And today they successfully followed a lead which took them straight to me." Michael squeezed her hand gently, feeling something metallic against his touch.

Lifting her hand up slowly, he spotted the band on her ring finger. Tilting his head up to Peggy, Michael smirked a little. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Peggy's gaze drifted down to the gold wedding band on her finger, glistening under the harsh light of the interrogation room. "Well...the thing is Michael. Rather recently I got married to..."

"Oh god." Michael spoke abruptly, shaking his head a little. "Peggy Carter, you got married to a Yank...didn't you?"

"It's Peggy Carter-Sousa now...and I rather think you'd get on well with Daniel. You briefly met him earlier on..." Peggy's eyes lit up as she spoke of her husband.

_Husband. She would never tire of calling him that._

"I'm sure I will, so long as he's nothing like that plonker you were engaged to before." Michael's voice dripped with disgust, making his feelings towards her ex-fiancé very well known.

"Trust me Michael, he is nothing like Fred." Peggy rolled her eyes a little.

"Good. I never liked him. You just needed a little nudge to realise that wasn't the life that you wanted."

"Getting yourself killed in action is a little bit more than giving me a nudge wouldn't you say?" Her reply cut him deep. He couldn't imagine how she felt after finding out that he was "dead". Michael had wanted nothing more than to let his little sister know that he was okay, but being under the influence of HYDRA meant it just simply wasn't possible.

Trying to shed a little bit of light on the situation, Michael enveloped her hand in both of his own. "Does he make you happy?" He asked sincerely.

An instant nod of the head and a warm smile was all Michael needed to know that his baby sister was very much in love. "He does. Very much so..."

"I'm glad. Truly I am." Michael flashed her a toothy grin, to which she reciprocated. "A married woman. Who'd have thought it? Is there anymore news you wish to tell me?" He joked playfully with her.

_Little did he know._

Biting on her bottom lip gently, Peggy thought for a moment before speaking. "Actually, there is something else you should know..."

"Oh?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side a little.

"Well you see Michael, there is one other very important person in my life that you should know about..."

* * *

After hours of talking, questioning and establishing that Michael Carter would cause no harm, Michael had agreed to help them track down more involved with HYDRA. Peggy had also discussed with Daniel about letting Michael stay with them until he got himself back on his feet. 

Emerging from the office building later that afternoon, Daniel and the Carter siblings made their way over to the car. "I swear if you try to sabotage us in anyway, I will have no choice but to kill you." Michael chuckled slightly, hearing his baby sister threaten to kill him as she lead him to the car. "What are you laughing at Michael?" Peggy spoke incredulously, not believing that he could find what she had said even remotely funny.

"Not even a war could stop that strong-willed attitude, Peggy."

"Oh hush." Peggy tutted a little and reached over to grab the car door handle. "Come on, let's get you home." She spoke opening the door, ushering him inside the vehicle.

Home. He quite liked the sound of that.

The drive to their family home took no time at all, with Daniel driving and Peggy sat in the backseat with Michael. She had her hands clasping his, afraid to let go in case he disappeared. The comfortable silence that hung in the air was broken by Michael speaking.

"Penny for your thoughts little Piglet?" Michael asked, giving Peggy's hand a small comforting squeeze.

A small chuckle erupted from the front seat, and Peggy's head snapped up in the direction of her husband, who obviously found Michael's nickname for her rather amusing. "Something funny, Daniel?" She asked teasingly, to which he shook his head in response.

"Not at all."

"Hmm..." Peggy hummed, rotating her head round to gaze at her brother. "I'm just finding it hard to believe you're really here Michael. I can't wait for you to meet Sarah..."

Michael smiled warmly in return, still a little dumbfounded by the fact that his baby sister had a child of her own. "Trust me Peggy. I am very excited to meet her. If she's anything like you then we are in trouble." He joked, nudging his shoulder against hers.

"Trust me, she is...I'm severely outnumbered." Daniel chimed in, gaining a small chortle from Michael.

The small talk carried on until eventually Daniel parked the car up outside their family home. Taking in the sight of the suburban, all-American looking home, an amused smile appeared on Michael's tired looking face. "I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be so domestic, Peggy."

By this point Peggy and Daniel had both gotten out of the car and were slowly making their way inside. Peggy glanced back at her older brother. "Are you going to stand around and make comments like that all day Michael? Or are you going to come inside?"

Michael followed the couple into their house and took in his surroundings, admiring the decor and photographs scattered on the walls. It was all very homely and welcoming, and Michael felt a sense of warmth as he crossed the threshold.

"Cup of tea?" Peggy asked promptly as she click clacked down the hallway towards the kitchen. "One sugar and a spot of milk?"

"Spot on. Yes please Peggy." Michael was lead through to the lounge by Daniel and the two found themselves delving into chatter as they waited for Peggy to bring through the cups of tea.

When she eventually emerged from the kitchen with a tray, both men snapped their heads to admire Peggy, to which she raised her eyebrow curiously. "I'm not even going to ask what you two were talking about."

* * *

After several cups of tea and lots of chatter, the sound of a car parking up outside captured their attention. A quick glance out of the bay window in the lounge from Peggy confirmed that Sarah was home, courtesy of Mr. Jarvis dropping her off. Peggy motioned to her brother to wait there a moment as she glided over to the front door, opening it and going to greet her dear friend and daughter. As Michael stood at the window and peered out, the sounds of an excited child could be heard in the distance. 

"Mummy!" Sarah shouted as she bounded up the drive, leaping into her mother's arms.

"Hello my little love." Peggy perched Sarah comfortably on her hip as she greeted Mr. Jarvis, thanking him once again for looking after Sarah. A quick conversation was had before they waved goodbye and retreated back into the house. Appearing in the doorway of the lounge, Sarah clocked Michael almost instantly, who was now standing at the other end of the room facing them.

"Mummy, who's that?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side a little.

Daniel watched on from the corner of the room, wondering how this meeting of Uncle and Niece would go. "Darling..." Peggy began speaking, figuring out how she was going to phrase her next sentence. "Do you remember I told you about my big brother Michael?" Peggy asked, bending down so she could deposit Sarah safely onto the ground.

"The one you told me about in your stories? The one you used to go on adventures with and who disappeared long before I was born?" Her innocent voice rang through the lounge as she reached up to take her mother's hand. "Is that him?" Sarah gasped as she looked up at Michael.

Peggy glanced over to her brother, who was absolutely mesmerised by his niece and how similar to Peggy she was in every single way, the only differences being hair and eye colour. She was so intelligent for only being young, and for someone so young she certainly had a lot of confidence. "Yes my darling. That's your Uncle Michael."

Sarah let go of her mother's hand and skipped over to where her Uncle was stood. Kneeling down to her level, Michael smiled. "Hello Sarah. I'm your Uncle Michael."

"Are you magical, because you disappeared and then you magically came back?" Sarah asked suddenly, pulling a slight chuckle from the adults in the room.

It was in that exact moment, snickering a little at his nieces words, that Michael realised - things were going to be okay now his family were surrounding him.

_Because family meant everything to Michael Carter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know...most of it is probably waffle...but I hope you liked it? I re-wrote this so many times that I'm not even sure if it's coherent.
> 
> Yes I know I stole the story of Peggy stealing the liquor from her teachers house from the show...but that is such a Peggy Carter thing to do and I couldn't resist.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. There's No Business Like Show Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen a couple of really cute one shots about Peggy and the family seeing Angie in a show so I wanted to try and merge this idea with one of my favourite films. 'Singin' in the Rain' was first released at Radio City Music Hall on March 27th 1952.
> 
> If you haven't seen it, 1...where have you been? And 2...it's amazing, go watch it immediately.
> 
> Enjoy!

** March 27th 1952 **

"Peg, you nearly ready?" Daniel asked, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Almost ready darling, I won't be long." Peggy replied, taking one last glance in the mirror before heading through to the bedroom.

As Peggy emerged in the doorway, she drank in the sight of her husband, dressed smartly in a navy suit and looking devilishly handsome. However, as soon as Daniel noticed Peggy, his jaw dropped. Peggy was dressed in a fitted green floor length dress, her hair curled and styled to perfection. Even though she had only given birth to their son Michael four months prior, she looked like a Goddess.

"You're catching flies again." Peggy teased with a smirk on her crimson red lips.

"Can you blame me?" He asked, crutching his way over to her, trying not to look like a lion about to catch his next prey. Daniel snaked an arm around her back and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "You look beautiful Peg."

"Behave..." Peggy scolded playfully, swatting her hand gently on his chest. "Is Sarah ready to go?"

"Yeah. She can't wait to see the movie." He grinned, pulling back and holding his arm out for her. "Come on, Mrs Sousa. The movie premier awaits us."

* * *

After saying goodbye to Daniel's parents and four month old Michael, the three of them made their way to Radio City Music Hall, which was only a short drive away. Soon enough, the art deco styled building came into view, the lights beaming and the loud sounds of the crowd could be heard as their taxi arrived. MGM (the film company associated with the movie) had gone all out for the premier of 'Singin' in the Rain'.

After clambering out of the vehicle, Sarah's eyes lit up, mouth wide in awe. The three of them searched eagerly for Angie in the crowd, a familiar voice soon catching their attention. "Hey English! Over here!"

Hearing her Auntie's voice, the six year old dropped her mother's hand, bolting over excitedly. "Auntie Angie!" Sarah cheered as Angie bent down to scoop her niece into her arms.

"Hey kiddo. I've missed you so much." Angie pressed a gentle kiss to Sarah's blonde hair, cuddling her close.

"Auntie Angie, you look so pretty."

"And look at you, don't you look so cute." Angie motioned to Sarah's light blue dress with a large circle skirt; she looked so adorable.

As Peggy and Daniel finally caught up with their daughter, Angie deposited Sarah safely on the ground before pulling her friend in for a hug. It had been some time since they had seen each other, with Angie filming the movie and Peggy being busy with work and becoming a mother for the second time. "Angie you look wonderful."

"Me?" Angie asked pulling back at arms length from their embrace. "Look at you Peg, you only gave birth to Michael four months ago. You look incredible."

"Oh hush." Peggy rolled her eyes a little before stepping back to allow Daniel to greet Angie.

Angie took a hold of her niece's hand and lead her past the mobs of fans and paparazzi, answering a couple of questions about how her roles in Howard Stark's movies had helped pave her way to working with MGM. After this, the four of them headed inside to watch the premier of the new film, eagerly waiting to see what was going to happen.

* * *

It was safe to say that it was a huge success from beginning to end. It had the perfect balance of songs, comedy and heartfelt moments, gaining standing ovations from everyone in the room. Admittedly, Peggy had never been much of a musical fan, but even with the corny ending, she found herself tapping her feet to the music and swooning at the smooth moves of Gene Kelly whenever he was on screen. Daniel was clearly in his element having expressed his love for musical films, and little Sarah was completely enthralled with the musical numbers. When her Auntie Angie appeared on the screen as a featured dancer in the numbers, she wiggled in her seat with excitement. Peggy beamed with pride watching her best friend in the movie alongside these famous movie stars; she had no doubt in her mind that Angie too would be on her way to stardom after that performance.

* * *

As the crowds of people filtered out of the building, the cast, crew and family members stayed back before moving on to the after party which was going to be held in a swanky looking hotel a few blocks away.

"Angie, that was wonderful. You were amazing." Peggy gushed over her friend as she pulled her in for a celebratory hug.

"I loved it!" Sarah bounced up and down excitedly.

"I gotta say Angie, you were incredible." Daniel beamed with pride. "I've always been a sucker for a musical film, but that was the best one yet."

Suddenly, a smooth, charming sounding voice came from behind them. "Miss Martinelli?" Angie turned hearing her name, Peggy, Daniel and Sarah following soon after.

As Angie recognised the figure stood in front of them, Peggy and Daniel's mouths hung open a little in shock.

**_Gene Kelly_.**

Padding her way over slowly, she held out her hand for him to take. "Mr. Kelly. The film was wonderful. Congratulations."

"Thank you Miss Martinelli. Please, call me Gene." He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it in greeting. "It really was a pleasure working with you, albeit for a short time. I'm so glad that MGM asked you to be a part of the picture after they saw you in Howard Stark's movies. I do hope we get to see you in more pictures." Angie blushed a little as she listened to his praising words.

"Thank you. Well in that case, you can call me Angie." She replied, quickly glancing back to her friends, who were in disbelief at what was happening.

"Who do we have here?" Gene asked, gesturing towards Peggy, Daniel and Sarah.

Angie swiftly turned around and led Gene over to introduce them. "Gene Kelly, this is my best friend Peggy, her husband Daniel, and their six year old daughter Sarah."

Shaking each of their hands, his attention then turned to the small blonde girl, who was looking up at him in awe. "Well little one...did you enjoy the movie?" Gene asked kneeling down to her level.

Sarah nodded her head almost instantly. "Aha! Auntie Angie was amazing, and so were you! But that song you did in the rain, wasn't it cold? What if you had gotten sick?"

Gene chuckled a little hearing the small girl speak. "Well, it's funny you should say that Sarah, because when we were filming that scene I was actually a little under the weather." Sarah gasped a little, listening intently as he continued. "But I was okay in the end. Did you know that there's a very famous saying we have in showbiz if things don't go the way we planned?" Sarah shook her head, eagerly awaiting for the answer. "It's the show must go on." Gene tapped Sarah's nose gently and the smile that broke out onto her face could have lit up the entire room.

After speaking to them for a few more minutes, Gene stood up, smoothing down his suit. "I really am glad you all enjoyed the movie. I must go now, but thank you again." He bowed his head down a little before retreating back to the group of people waiting for him.

When Angie was sure he was out of ear shot, she turned to her friends and chuckled. "Is this really happening?"

"You better believe it Angie. Soon we will be seeing your name up on the big screen for MGM." Peggy noted that the cast and crew were beginning to leave, and so didn't want to delay her friend any longer. "Go on, you'll be late for the after party. We should get going as it's past this ones bedtime." Peggy spoke, gesturing down to Sarah, who upon hearing her mother's words, started to protest.

"But Mummy I'm far too excited to sleep!" Sarah protruded her bottom lip, not wanting this magical night to end.

Angie knelt down to Sarah and tapped her gently on the shoulder, coaxing her to look at her. "Don't worry kiddo, you'll get to see me again before you fly home." Her attempt to cheer her niece up hadn't quite worked, so she quickly thought on her feet. "Listen, how about I pick you up tomorrow and we spend the day together?" Angie suggested, to which Sarah nodded her head, a smile returning to her face.

Sarah suddenly threw her arms around her Auntie, giving her a hug goodbye. "I love you, Auntie Angie."

Wrapping her arms around her niece in an embrace, her heart swelled at her sweet words. " I love you too kid. Now on you go, I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

After saying goodnight to Daniel and Peggy, Angie scuttled off in the direction of the crowd heading towards the after party.

_There really was no business like show business._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My love for this movie will never ever fade, and the fact that these characters would have lived during this era was too good an opportunity to miss.
> 
> Fun fact: Gene Kelly was actually sick when he filmed that famous 'Singin' in the Rain' scene.
> 
> Anyways, if you've made it this far, thank you! I hope you liked it.
> 
> Take care and stay safe!


	7. When’s Mummy Going To Be Home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I can't write anything else other than fluff right now...hope you enjoy it!

**12th January 1952**

It had just gone ten o'clock when Daniel Sousa was awoken from his half-asleep state. Quietly crutching through the house, his ears were captured with the sounds of baby Michael crying in the nursery. After carefully scooping his two-month-old son out of his crib, he settled down in the armchair. As he unsuccessfully tried to coax baby Mikey back to sleep, he soon realized exactly what he wanted; his mother.

Peggy had been back to work for a couple of weeks now, spending quite a lot of time in the office. She wouldn't be home for another couple of hours at least. Some might have said that it was rather soon for Peggy to be back at work, but after much thought, Daniel had decided that he wanted to reduce his working hours and be at home more. Not only did it mean he could be with the children, but it also allowed Peggy to carry on working; the last thing he wanted was for Peggy to give up everything she had been working hard for.

The whimpers escaping the little boy's mouth snatched Daniel from his own thoughts. "It's okay buddy...I've got you." Rocking little Michael gently in his arms, he spoke in a hushed voice to try and calm him. "I know you want your Mom but, I'm afraid you're stuck with me for now." He stroked the soft hair on top of his head as he continued to try and soothe the baby back to sleep.

* * *

**15th November 1951**

_The past hour had been the longest hour in Daniel's life, and he wanted nothing more than to be in the delivery room with Peggy, to comfort her and help her through the birth. It simply wasn't allowed and she was instantly whisked away before he had a chance to protest. The majority of his time in the waiting room had been spent with his head in his hands, worried sick about Peggy being in there all by herself. He'd been so lost in the moment with worry and fear that he failed to even hear the Nurse open the door._

_"Mr. Sousa?"_

_Daniels's head snapped up hearing his name. As his eyes locked with the Nurse's stood in the doorway, his stomach dropped a little. A whole bunch of thoughts swirled around in his mind, instantly thinking that something was wrong. However, when the Nurse's face softened and a smile appeared, he knew everything was okay._

_"Congratulations. Your wife and son are both doing very well. You can come through to the nursery to see him if you like?"_

_"Yes. Yes please." He spoke almost immediately, taking in the news that he now had a son. A baby boy._

_Daniel followed the Nurse as quickly as his body could take him. As soon as he laid eyes on his newborn son, wrapped in a blue blanket, his heart swelled with happiness. Baby Sousa was a good size with an impressive head of hair. When the nurse held him up for Daniel to see through the glass he noted that he had Peggy's nose and his ears. As much as he craved to hold his newborn son, he understood that he needed to be kept in the nursery for his own safety._

_After spending a few minutes gushing over his little boy, his attention turned to his wife. He made his way to the room she was in and was pleasantly surprised to see that despite having just endured childbirth, she was quite alert and awake._

_"Daniel?" Peggy questioned, a small smile creeping up on her face._

_Crutching over to the bed, he perched on the side before taking her hand in his. "Hey Peg."_

_"Darling, have you seen our little boy? Is he okay?" She asked quietly, stifling a yawn as she spoke, tiredness creeping up on her._

_Daniel nodded, his goofy grin plastered on his face. "He's beautiful Peg. So, so perfect."_

_"It seems I was right about the gender of the baby." She smirked, ending the ongoing competition throughout the pregnancy about who would be right about the gender._

_"Well, when is Peggy Carter ever wrong?" He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it tenderly._

_"Correct answer."_

_Chuckling a little, Daniel suddenly felt tears forming in his eyes. Peggy noticed this and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. The two of them shared a look of complete adoration with each other before Daniel leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I'm so proud of you Peg. You've brought our son into the world."_

_Peggy hummed happily in response, thinking for a moment before speaking. "The nurse is going to be here soon...we really should decide on a name."_

_"We were pretty set on Michael for the first name, right?"_

_"If you're still okay with that? I'm sure Michael will be so pleased. It's the middle name I'm still unsure of." She sighed a little, thinking about how they had discussed many middle names, but none of them seemed to fit._

_Pondering for a moment, Daniel finally suggested a name he hadn't mentioned to her before. "How about...Steven?"_

_As soon as the words left his lips, he heard Peggy's breath hitch and saw her brown orbs fill up with tears. "Oh, Daniel. Are you-" Peggy started to speak, but he cut her off gently before she finished her question._

_"Absolutely." He lifted his free hand and cupped her face, stroking his thumb gently across her cheek to wipe away the stray tear that had fallen. "I know how much Steve meant to you, and he did save my life after all. We owe a lot to him."_

_"Well, that settles it then." Peggy sniffed away the tears and smiled widely. "Michael Steven Sousa. Our little boy."_

* * *

**12th January 1952**

"Pai?" A little voice from the doorway tore Daniel from his thoughts.

Stood in the doorway was six-year-old Sarah, who was clutching her favourite stuffed bear.

"Sarah? What are you doing up?" Daniel queried softly, eyeing up the little girl as she nervously glanced down at her feet.

"I...I had a bad dream." Daniel noted the little wobble in her voice and he sighed sadly, noticing her eyes were a little red and teary. "Can I sit with you and Michael please?" She asked politely, sniffing back more tears as she eagerly awaited Daniel's response.

"Of course you can squirt. Maybe you can help me get Mikey back to sleep." Daniel shifted the squirming baby in his arms and helped Sarah up onto the chair and into his lap.

Once both parties were comfortable, Sarah peered down at the tiny baby in front of her. Forgetting instantly about her bad dream, she smiled a toothy grin. "He's so little." She spoke with a look of complete adoration for her little baby brother, reaching out and gently stroking the soft tuft of dark hair on his head.

"He won't stay little for long though." He pressed a kiss into Sarah's blonde hair before speaking again. "Now, do you want to talk about what happened in your dream?" Daniel asked in a gentle tone, letting her know it was okay to talk about things that worried or frightened her.

"Someone took me away from you and Mummy and I was left on my own. I was really scared." Sarah craned her head around and buried it into Daniel's chest, to which he protectively tightened his arm around her.

"We won't ever let that happen to you. You know that right?"

"Aha. I know." Sarah nodded her head a little. "When's Mummy going to be home?" Sarah queried suddenly, continuing to soothingly stroke her brother's head.

"She should be back in a couple of hours. You will be asleep by the time she gets home."

"Oh." The little girl sighed a little at her Dad's response.

They soon fell into a comfortable silence, all three of them eventually falling asleep cuddled up on the armchair.

* * *

An hour later, Peggy eventually clambered through the front door. Things with S.H.I.E.L.D were coming along nicely, but as the agency grew, it meant that she had to work longer hours.

Toeing off her heels and leaving them by the front door, a contented sigh left her lips. _Thank goodness those dreadful heels were off._

Peggy crept slowly through the house, not wanting to wake Daniel or the children. A dim light from the nursery caught Peggy's attention as she padded down the hallway. The sight Peggy saw when she reached the doorway made her heart melt. Curled up asleep on the armchair was Daniel with both Sarah and Michael snuggled in his embrace. They looked so peaceful, but she knew Daniel would thank her for waking him up, otherwise he would have terrible back and leg pain in the morning.

"Darling..." Peggy cooed quietly as she made her way over to where her family slept.

Arousing from his sleepy state, Daniel's eyes fluttered open, capturing the scene of his wife carefully plucking Sarah from his arms. "Must have fallen asleep." He grunted a little, using his now free arm to steady himself as he got up to put a now sleeping Michael back into his crib.

Peggy brought Sarah through to her bedroom, placing her into the bed and pulling the covers over her tiny frame. Leaning down, she pressed a feather-soft kiss onto her daughter's forehead before slowly retreating out of the room.

"Mummy..." Sarah muttered half asleep, reaching her arms up towards her mother.

A smile tugged at Peggy's lips as she turned around and made her way back over to her daughter. Once sat down on the bed, Peggy leaned down and enveloped her in a hug, feeling Sarah loosely wrap her arms around her. "Go to sleep, my little love. You're going to be tired in the morning."

"But Mummy, it's Sunday tomorrow..." Sarah replied, stifling a yawn.

"Yes, but you're rather like me and you're grumpy when you haven't had enough sleep..."

Hearing her mother's words, Sarah stuck out her bottom lip and huffed a little. "Fine. Are you working tomorrow?"

Peggy snickered a little at her daughter's sass before shaking her head. "No my darling, I'm not." Peggy stroked Sarah's hair soothingly before pressing another kiss to her forehead. "Get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you too, Mummy."

After standing back up and turning around, she noticed Daniel's figure standing just outside the room, admiring the scene in front of him. Once the bedroom door was closed, she eyed up her husband with a smirk. "How long have you been stood there?"

"Not long..." He shrugged his shoulders before stepping forward and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Mmm come to bed...I'm exhausted." Daniel muttered sleepily in her ear.

"You don't need to ask me twice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any ideas for one-shots, please shoot them my way. Also, if anyone can tell me where I can find myself a Daniel Sousa, that would be greatly appreciated. What a sweetheart.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! x


	8. What If I’m Too Late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a delay in uploading this chapter...I'm not even sure I'm happy with this completely, but here we are.   
> I did a bit of googling on when Steve actually returned to Peggy at the end of 'Avengers - Endgame' and I saw that it was 1949. But with the wonders of fanfiction, years and timelines can be tweaked, so I've decided to alter the year to help fit with this one-shot.   
> I love both Peggy/Steve and Peggy/Daniel, so you can imagine the inner turmoil I was feeling writing this. What can I say? Peggy is just shippable with everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much to 'whitecrossgirl' for this idea! 
> 
> The writing in bold italics is Steve's thoughts as things unfold.
> 
> Prompt - "What about an Endgame AU where Steve goes back for Peggy but sees her happy with Daniel and the kids and decides to let her live her life?"

_“Ready Cap?" Banner asked as Steve geared himself up to travel back to return the Infinity Stones and Thor's hammer. Hearing his friend's question, Steve turned his head to the left and nodded a little in response. "Alright, we'll meet you back here okay?"_

_"You bet," Steve spoke turning back around. He caught a glimpse of Bucky before his protective helmet appeared and covered his face. What he was about to do was crazy, but he had to try and get that life Natasha had always teased him into getting._

_"Going Quantum in 3...2...1"_

_And then he was gone._

* * *

**26th April 1952**

The sun was shining brightly over Columbia Heights, a picturesque neighbourhood in Washington D.C, where the Carter-Sousa household resided. It was Saturday afternoon, and Peggy Carter-Sousa found herself sat on the front lawn with her five-month-old son lying down on a large blanket. Stifling a yawn, Peggy reached up and tucked a stray curl behind her ear before gazing down at her little boy. Alert and awake, Michael peered around him, the sounds of nearby neighbors talking and children playing catching his attention.

Peggy snickered to herself watching him. "Do you hear that Michael?" Peggy asked, tickling Michael's stomach, gaining a laugh from him. Peggy's eyes lit up in adoration hearing that glorious sound. "Soon you'll be running around and playing with your sister, like your Uncle Michael and I used to do..."

Peggy's mind drifted off, thinking firstly how she couldn't believe that her little boy was already five months old. She couldn't believe he was here at all actually. With working in the field there would always be risks, and with the amount of injuries she had sustained in her career, she feared that there would be complications. That fear was soon squashed the minute she found out she was pregnant.

Breaking from that particular thought, Peggy stifled another yawn as she then remembered fondly the memories she shared with her older brother Micheal when they were children. They would play for hours on end in the garden, much to her mother's dismay. Peggy couldn't wait to see her own children growing up together and no doubt getting up to all sorts.

For once in her life, Peggy felt calm and...peaceful? If that was even possible. With being back at the office and working some un-Godly hours, she rarely got the chance to spend a Saturday off with her family. Where she felt guilty to be working so much, it was tender moments like this with her children that made it all the more worth it. Besides, co-founding and running a new agency organization was highly thrilling. A story she couldn't wait to tell her children when they were old enough to understand properly.

Baby Michael let out a soft cry which caught Peggy's attention once again. She shifted up onto her knees and peered over her little boy, catching his eye, which immediately calmed him down. "There we are silly boy, Mummy's here."

* * *

Not that far away, out of nowhere, Steve found himself in the middle of a road in a suburban cul-de-sac. He had successfully returned all of the infinity stones and Mjolnir, but whilst making his final quantum jump, things hadn't exactly gone to plan. After scrounging around and stealing a nearby newspaper in a letter box on someone's front yard, he discovered it was April 1952. It wasn't quite the time frame he had anticipated; he was out by a few years.

Discarding of the newspaper, Steve cautiously made his way down the street in search of Peggy's house. So many thoughts were running through his mind, but one, in particular, stood out.

_**What if I've arrived too late?** _

Steve eyed up all the houses on the way, his mind spinning; he was understandably nervous. It's not everyday you travel back in time to see someone you cared about. Who was he kidding? He loved her. He always had. He always would. Throughout everything he had endured; adjusting to the future after being frozen in ice for nearly seventy years or saving the universe numerous times with the Avengers, it was Peggy that had been his lifeline through it all. Steve had to at least try to get the life he always wanted.

A familiar voice tore Steve from his thoughts and as he looked up, he caught sight of Peggy in her front yard. Stopping in his tracks, his breath hitched a little, signaling the shock he felt at how utterly beautiful she looked. Peggy was sat down on a large patterned blanket, legs tucked to the side. Her hair looked a little shorter than what Steve remembered, her perfect brown curls framing her face. Another difference he spotted was her outfit. Steve had only ever seen Peggy in formal attire or her army uniform, so the casual floral dress she had on looked a little unusual to him. Not that he was complaining, she looked absolutely stunning.

His feet finally caught up with his brain and as he approached a little closer, his gaze traveled down slowly. What Steve saw, or in fact whom he saw, caused his stomach to drop.

**_I'm too late._ **

Lying in front of Peggy on the blanket was a young baby, who was babbling away happily, kicking his legs and waving his arms. "There's my darling boy." Peggy cooed, tickling the baby's stomach before lifting him into her arms. She pressed a gentle kiss to his head before gasping at the red mark left on him from her signature red lipstick. After swiping away the lipstick her face lit up in a blinding smile as the baby gurgled contentedly in her arms. "There we are, much better."

All of a sudden, a young girl came bounding out of the front door and onto the grass, running circles around Peggy and the baby. "Mummy! Mummy!"

Suddenly feeling a bit more exposed than he would have liked, Steve dove behind a big tree on the sidewalk to hide out of sight. His eyes widened a little as he watched from afar.

_**Two children.** _

"What is it, my little love?" Peggy asked as she watched Sarah twirl about before flopping down onto the blanket. The six-year-old knelt in front of her mother and huffed, crossing her arms and sticking out her bottom lip.

_**She looks exactly like Peggy.** _

"When will Uncle Michael be here? He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!" Sarah asked dramatically.

Peggy chuckled, reaching her free arm out to cup her daughter's face carefully. "You're turning into quite a little actress like your Auntie Angie. Uncle Michael will be here soon, have patience, darling." Peggy watched as Sarah's expression softened, causing her to smile. "Now, where is your father?"

"He's just inside making lunch. He said he'd be out soon." Sarah answered, leaning into her mother's touch, her crystal blue eyes glistening in the sun light.

"I do hope he's not causing havoc in that kitchen."

"No Mummy, that's you." Sarah replied cheekily, gaining a playful scoff from Peggy.

"I do not!" Peggy cried out in mock outrage, laughter spilling from her lips. The hand that was cupping her daughter's face moved to tickle the crook of her neck, to which Sarah wriggled away, giggling as she felt ticklish.

**_She looks so happy. And a natural at being a Mom._ **

Before anymore could be said, a red car pulled up outside the house, causing Sarah to jump up excitedly. "Uncle Michael! Uncle Michael! He's here Mummy!"

The young blonde girl watched as her Uncle got out of the car and she sprinted down the drive, holding her arms out to him. Michael Carter grinned happily as he locked the car door, turning around and catching his niece in his arms and lifting her high into the air. "Hello, darling girl." He pressed a kiss to Sarah's cheek before walking up the drive to the front garden to where his sister and baby nephew were.

Steve rubbed nervously at the hairs from his beard, his face contorted a little in confusion at what he had just witnessed.

_**Uncle Michael? Since when did Peggy have a brother? She never mentioned a brother before.** _

Steve watched on as Peggy stood up with the baby in her arms, welcoming a kiss to the cheek from her older brother. "Hello, Michael."

"Hello, little piglet. How is my nephew doing?" Michael questioned, turning his attention to his namesake. Peggy scoffed at Michael's nickname for her, before shifting the baby in her arms for him to see.

"He's looking more and more like his father every day." Tenderly, Peggy stroked her hand through Mikey's dark hair, which had really grown in now.

"Excellent. He's going to be a strapping young boy." After placing Sarah down on the ground, he welcomed his namesake into his arms, cuddling him close.

Just as the siblings started to catch up with each other, the sound of someone on the porch behind them caused Peggy to turn around quickly. "Hello, darling."

Steve could feel his whole body tensing up at the sight of the man stood there, his hands curling into fists.

**_Peggy's husband. The man that made her happy when I couldn't._ **

As Daniel made his way down the porch steps towards his wife, brother-in-law, and kids, he noted the ever-growing smile on Peggy's face. And there it was. The undeniable look of complete adoration in her eyes. The look of pure love.

**_Peggy used to look at me like that._ **

After greeting his brother-in-law, he approached Peggy and planted a gentle kiss to her cheek. All the while, Peggy never took her eyes off of Daniel, never tiring of swooning over how lucky she felt to have him in her life.

Getting a little impatient, Sarah tugged gently on Peggy's dress. "Mummy, can I show Uncle Michael the school project I was working on?"

"Of course you can, provided Uncle Michael is okay with that?" Peggy craned her head to look at her brother, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Darling girl, I would love to. Come on, show me the way." Sarah cheered happily and raced off inside the house. Michael followed behind with the baby happily snuggled in his arms, leaving Peggy and Daniel on their own.

"What are you grinning at?" Peggy queried, raising an eyebrow at Daniel, who was looking at her with a soppy smile on his face.

"What? Can't a man admire his beautiful wife?" Daniel closed the distance between them, snaking his free arm around her back and pulling her in for a chaste kiss.

"I love you, Daniel." Peggy spoke as they broke the kiss.

"I love you too Peg."

**_How can I just march over there and ruin everything? I love Peggy too much to do that to her._ **

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Steve watched as Peggy and her husband made their way back inside to join their children and Michael. Peggy was the last one to approach the front door but before she headed inside she glanced back, taking in the scenery of the neighbourhood. For a brief moment, Steve thought about jumping out from behind the tree and confronting her. He thought better than to do that. Steve took once last look at the woman who stole his heart all those years ago, before she disappeared inside the house and closed the door.

Steve loved her so much, more than he thought possible, but his decision was made. And it was something Steve was just going to have to live with.

Peggy had moved on, and it was time he did too.

"Goodbye, Peggy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh...so many feels. And the fact that I didn't have Steve confront Peggy makes it even harder due to the fact that in this headcanon his daughter Sarah was right there too. 
> 
> I'm gonna go wallow in my own feelings now.
> 
> If you do have any more ideas for one-shots please let me know :)
> 
> Until next time x


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